Big Game Motorsports is one win away from hitting the double-digit mark after David Gravel guided the team to its ninth World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series triumph of the season last weekend.
The team invaded Knoxville Raceway for a doubleheader with Gravel opening the weekend on Friday by qualifying fourth quickest in his group. A runner-up result in a heat race advanced him into the dash and he gained a position to place second, earning the outside front row starting position for the A Main.
Gravel took the lead on Lap 10 and held the point until Lap 16 when Kyle Larson got by for the top spot. Gravel lost ground initially after being passed, but he began to rally a couple of laps later and closed on Larson. However, the leader pulled to a stop and Gravel inherited the lead with a half-dozen laps remaining. He pulled away for his 97 th career World of Outlaws victory.
“Once I got back to the bottom, I got right back to (Larson),” Gravel said in a post-race interview on DIRTVision. “I really wish we could’ve raced that out. I think he was running really aggressive and was maybe going to run high one more lap, and I might’ve been able to get underneath him. I wish we could’ve raced that out. I’ve got to thank Cody (Jacobs), Stephen (Hamm-Reilly) and Zach (Patterson) for working hard. This is a new car, and to debut it, qualify well going out late, and winning the race is really good.”
The team wrapped up the weekend at ‘The Sprint Car Capital of the World’ on Saturday. Gravel timed in third quickest in his group and finished second in a heat race to once again move into the dash. He picked up a pair of positions in the dash to end third. Gravel battled for a podium position throughout the feature before he placed fourth for his 21 st top five of the season, which leads the World of Outlaws.
Gravel also used the solid weekend to boost his World of Outlaws championship points lead to 56 points. Next up for the team is the famed $100,000-to-win Huset’s Hustle and the $250,000-to-win BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals presented by MENARDS running this Wednesday through Saturday at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D. Gravel won the record $250,000 top prize last year.
QUICK RESULTS –
June 14 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 4; Heat race: 2 (2); Dash: 2 (3); Feature: 1 (2).
June 15 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 2 (2); Dash: 3 (5); Feature: 4 (3).
SEASON STATS –
30 races, 9 wins, 21 top fives, 26 top 10s, 28 top 15s, 28 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Wednesday through Saturday at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., for the Huset’s Hustle and the BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals presented by MENARDS with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
ILP PR
